2 AM
by katie-elise
Summary: It's 3 a.m. when Remus finally relents and allows Sirius to apply the scar-reducing cream to the places on his sides and back that are too painful to reach...Sirius/Remus


A/N: So...this attacked me. Actually, a few days ago, before I'd finished the second part of 'The Mirror of Erised', but I wanted to wait until I'd finished that to post this. It's a tad short, and even _I_ start to ignore the times near the end, but trust me, it adds to the story if you read them (well...I think it does, haha). Anywho, I _think _it's good, but I'd love your opinion on the matter. ;)

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It's 2 a.m. when Sirius is thrust from nebulous dreams of bacon by the sound of a crash emanating from the general direction of the bathroom.

It's 2:30 when he can't stand the little clinkings and clackings, and he gives up, with a muttered curse, on getting any more sleep with the periodic, although melodic, noises interfering.

It's 2:45 when Sirius finally drags himself out of bed, yanking on a t-shirt in addition to his soft, black flannel sleep pants to ward off the cold. Glancing bleary eyed around the room, he notices that the curtain to Remus' bed is pushed back. Grumbling and running a hand through his unusually unruly hair, he stumbles towards the pale light coming from the cracked bathroom door.

It's 3 a.m. when Remus finally relents and allows Sirius to apply the scar-reducing cream to the places on his sides and back that are too painful to reach. A large gash running up the left-hand side of his ribcage is particularly troublesome, as it reopens to bleed sluggishly every time he moves too much.

It's 3:02 when Sirius, being as gentle as a Black could reasonably be expected to be, nonetheless manages to scrap a fingernail across the edge of the ragged wound on Remus' side, causing the other boy to gasp is exquisite pain, brilliant eyes losing focus and fluttering back in his head as Remus clenches his teeth. Sirius is all babbling, garbled, frantic apologies and soft caresses, and Remus, despite feeling as if a burning poker has been scraped down his side, manages a tiny smile and some whispered reassurances.

It's 3:11 when Sirius lightly running his fingers down Remus' back stops being something to endure and starts being…well, something to endure in an entirely different, much more pleasant, fashion.

It's 3:19, and Sirius's hands are still on Remus' skin, now tracing swirls and patterns and random letters against the flesh, caressing the innumerable scars, some recent, most fading, that cross the werewolf as if he's been flogged in the Dark Ages.

It's 3:24, and Sirius knows he should stop, but exhaustion combined with the look of pure and utter defeat, combined with a heart-breaking relief, on Remus' face keep him where he is.

It's 3:25, and it's really not a big deal that Sirius' arms are now wrapped around Remus' torso, and the other boy has his head snuggled into the Black heir's shoulder. Sirius can feel warm, sleepy but not-quite-asleep breaths assault the sliver of skin just above the collar of his shirt.

It's 3:25, and Sirius shouldn't feel this way.

It's 3:27 when Remus plants a wet, half-asleep and entirely uncoordinated kiss at the junction of Sirius' neck and shoulder.

It's 3:28 when Sirius finally lets out the breath he can't seem to swallow.

It's 3:43 when Sirius reciprocates, planting a soft, almost missed kiss among Remus' tousled brown-gold waves. Remus, in his adorable, worn out state, smiles and lets a soft, happy sigh slip over Sirius' shoulder.

It's 3:45 when Remus' breathing evens out, and Sirius knows he's asleep.

It's 3:46 when Sirius realizes this is going to be a long, slightly painful night spent sleeping half sitting, holding a warm, cuddly Remus, on the cold tile floor of the bathroom.

It's 3:48 when Sirius' eyes droop, and his head gently tips to rest on Remus' own.

It's 7:23 when James' bladder decides for the both of them that it's time for a trip to the bathroom, and it's 7:26 when the young Mr. Potter discovers two very cuddly Marauders curled asleep in each other's arms in the middle of the tile floor.

It's 7:32 by the time James (or his bladder) works up the courage to poke Sirius awake with the toe of his sock. "Sorry, mate, but I've gotta piss". Sirius groans, looks for a few seconds with mild confusion from James to Remus, and then scrabbles the latter into a pile of long limbs in his arms, carrying Remus to his bed and setting him down with un-precedented care, for a Black.

It's 7:34 when Sirius decides that maybe Remus will stop whimpering in his sleep if Sirius goes and lays next to him.

It's 9:42 when Remus finally opens his beautiful brown eyes, looks into a pair of inquisitive gray ones mere inches from his own, and graces the day with a drowsy, lopsided smile.

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Since this is a bit experimental, I'd love your thoughts on how it turned out. Plus...if I get a decent number of reviews on this, I'll be more likely to write/post other one shots, since that proves to me that people actually _want_ them and I'm not just imposing my self-indulgent ramblings on you all.

Love and Popsicles, katieelise


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